MLB: Napoli lead Red Sox bash parade

NEW YORK (AP) — With each swing, Mike Napoli and the Boston Red Sox are suddenly turning every game into slow-pitch softball.

Napoli hit two home runs, Jonny Gomes and prized rookie Xander Bogaerts also connected, and the Red Sox kept up their dizzying scoring spree at Yankee Stadium by bashing New York 13-9 Saturday for a fifth straight win.

Additional Photos

BIG BLAST: Boston’s Mike Napoli, right celebrates with David Ortiz after Napoli hit a two-run home run in the second inning of the Red Sox’ 13-9 win over the New York Yankees on Saturday in New York. AP

The AL East leaders became the first visiting team in more than a century to score at least nine runs on three straight days against the Yankees. In fact, the last time it happened, they weren’t called the Yankees — Boston did it in 1912 to the Highlanders at Hilltop Park.

Add in a 20-4 pasting of Detroit on Wednesday, and the highest-scoring team in the majors has amassed this four-game total: 54 runs, 17 homers and 64 hits.

“We’re doing it in bulk right now,” Gomes said.

Down 12-3, the Yankees rallied with four runs in the sixth inning and chased John Lackey (9-12). Mark Reynolds added a two-run double in the eighth off Red Sox reliever Drake Britton that made it 12-9.

“Considering the number of runs scored by both teams, no lead seems to feel safe,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said.

David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia each contributed to Boston’s five doubles. By the end of the fourth inning, it was 10-2 and every Red Sox batter had gotten a hit. They had all scored, too, except for Pedroia.

Each line drive that echoed around the ballpark was met by noticeable groans from New York fans. A couple of “Let’s go, Red Sox!” chants broke out among the many Boston fans.

Even Boston’s loud outs hurt. Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki slammed into the padded wall catching a drive by Ortiz and stayed down for a moment.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was pulled for a pinch-runner after an RBI single in the sixth and went to a hospital for a precautionary CT scan on his left ankle. The team said the preliminary results were negative.

Jeter has missed most of the season while recovering from a broken left ankle in the playoffs last year. The 39-year-old team captain is hitting .190 in 17 games for the wild-card contenders.

Fresh off routing the Tigers, the Red Sox arrived in the Bronx and beat the Yankees 9-8 in 10 innings Thursday and rallied for a 12-8 win Friday.

A day after launching a grand slam, Napoli hit a two-run homer in the second and a solo drive in the ninth. Gomes added a three-run shot.

Bogaerts doubled early, then hit a two-run shot in the fifth for his first major league homer. In the bottom half, the 20-year-old shortstop charged in for a nifty barehanded pickup to throw out Robinson Cano.

Bogaerts’ homer sailed over the Boston bullpen into the left-center field bleachers. He didn’t get to watch it, though, because he felt a cramp in his leg as he connected.

“I knew I hit it good,” he said.

The Yankees scored at least six runs for the sixth game in a row. That wasn’t enough for David Huff (2-1), tagged for nine runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings.

Huff made his first start of the season, moving from the bullpen to the rotation in place of ineffective Phil Hughes.

“They capitalized on all my mistakes today. On my part, it was terrible,” Huff said.

Boston improved to 10-5 against New York this year and won all three series at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox won minus center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. His injured right foot was put in a protective boot, and there is no timetable for his return to the lineup.

NOTES: Even with 54 runs, the Red Sox didn’t come close to their record for a four-game span. Boston scored 65 in four straight in June 1950, STATS said. … Napoli had his 13th career multihomer game. … Boston LHP Jon Lester (13-8, 3.88) starts Sunday afternoon vs. RHP Hiroki Kuroda (11-10, 2.99). … Farrell said RHP Clay Buchholz was traveling to New York to rejoin the team. The Red Sox hope Buchholz, on the 60-day DL with a neck strain, can start Tuesday night at Tampa Bay. … Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez got a day off for rest. … Gomes had an adventure in LF. He struggled as Brett Gardner’s two-run double flew over his head in the sixth, made a tumbling, awkward catch on Lyle Overbay’s fly to the warning track and fought the sun for another grab.

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